Lamp assembly provided with L-shaped electrical connector and integrated unifying means

ABSTRACT

A lamp apparatus for a liquid crystal display that is capable of preventing a wire breakage of the lamp apparatus, a lamp causes a discharge by a voltage applied from a power terminal to generate light. A wire is supplied with the voltage. A connector electrically connects the power terminal of the lamp to the wire using a pressing. The power terminal of the lamp and the wire electrically connected to each other and the connector are integrated.

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No.P2000-87048, filed on Dec. 30, 2000, which is hereby incorporated byreference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a liquid crystal display, and moreparticularly to a lamp apparatus for a liquid crystal display thatprevents wire breakage within the lamp apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally, a liquid crystal display (LCD) is widely used as a displaydevice in notebook personal computers or portable televisions. LCDstypically include an upper substrate, a lower substrate, a liquidcrystal display panel with a liquid crystal layer provided between theupper substrate and the lower substrate, and a back light installed atthe lower side of the lower substrate to provide the liquid crystaldisplay panel with an uniform surface light source.

The LCD requires a back light unit because it is not a self-emittingdisplay device. The back light unit includes a lamp apparatus thatgenerates light as shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional lamp apparatus for the LCD includesa lamp 2, a wire 3 for supplying the lamp 2 with power, solder 4 forelectrically contacting the lamp with the wire 3, a shrinking tube 10for enclosing the wire 3 and the solder 4, and a lamp holder 5 forenclosing an end of the lamp 2 and the solder 4.

The lamp 2 receives driving power from a power source (not shown) togenerate light. Driving power is fed to the lamp 2 by way of the wire 3.To this end, the wire 3 and the lamp 2 are electrically connected toeach other by a soldering method using a lead.

The shrinking tube 10 is manually provided to enclose the wire 3, thesolder 4, and the end of the lamp 2 to carry out a voltage-resistancetest and to prevent wire breakage within the lamp apparatus. The lampholder 5 encloses the tube 10 and the end of the lamp 2 so as to protectthe soldering portion 4 from an external impact. The lamp holder 5 ismade from a material such as soft rubber.

Referring to FIGS. 2A-2D, an assembly method of the abovementionedconventional lamp apparatus for the LCD will now be described. As shownin FIG. 2A, a lead forming a solder pad 12 is electrically contacted tothe lamp 2 and the solder 4 is placed on the solder pad to form a solderbump. Referring to FIGS. 2B and 2C, a wire electrode 13 is formed toelectrically contact the wire 3 and, upon heating the solder 4, ispressed into the solder 4 such that the lamp 2 is in electricalcommunication with the wire 3. Subsequently, the shrinking tube 10 isformed to enclose the wire 3 and the solder 4. The lamp holder 5 is thenfitted over the end of the wire 3 and the edge of the lamp 2 as shown inFIG. 3. The lamp holder 5 allows the lamp 2, the solder 4 and the wire 3to be integrated.

The LCD lamp apparatus formed using the conventional soldering method isthen subjected to a wire breakage test. During the breakage test, thewire 3 is shaken about 50 to 60 times in the left and right directionsrepeatedly as indicated in the bilateral arrow ‘B’ in FIG. 3. Anexternal force according to such a breakage test is transferred into theend portion ‘A’ of the wire 3 and the solder 4 to break the wire 3. Thewire 3 breaks because the lamp holder 5, which encloses the lamp 2, thesolder 4, and the wire 3, is not completely attached to the lamp 2, thesolder 4, and the wire 3.

Wire breakage is a problem because driving power cannot be fed to thelamp 2. Hence, the lamp 2 cannot be turned on. Another problem arisesbecause the solder 4, the shrinking tube 10, and the lamp holder 5 mustbe assembled manually. It has been found that manual assembly produceslow yields in the fabrication process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a lamp apparatus forliquid crystal display that substantially obviates one or more of theproblems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.

Accordingly, it is an advantage of the present invention to provide alamp apparatus of a liquid crystal display that is capable of preventingbreakage a wire in a lamp apparatus of an LCD device.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth inthe description which follows, and in part will be apparent from thedescription, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Theobjectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized andattained by the structure particularly pointed out in the writtendescription and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

In order to achieve these and other advantages of the invention, a lampapparatus for a liquid crystal display according to one embodiment ofthe present invention includes a lamp capable of using a discharge of anexternal voltage applied to a lamp electrode to generate light; a wireto deliver said voltage; a connector for electrically connecting thelamp electrode of the lamp to the wire by pressing wings of theconnector around electrodes of the lamp and the wire; and unifying meansfor integrally forming the lamp electrode of the lamp and the wireelectrically connected to each other and the connector.

In the lamp apparatus, the connector includes a first wing into whichthe lamp electrode of the lamp is inserted and pressed; and a secondwing into which the wire electrode is inserted and pressed.

The unifying means is an injection-molded product and unifies the end ofthe lamp, the connector, and the wire.

The injection-molded product is made from a material selected from anyone of plastic and silicon.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and areintended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention andtogether with the description serve to explain the principles of theinvention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a conventional lamp apparatus for aliquid crystal display employing a soldering method;

FIG. 2A to FIG. 2D are sectional views showing an assembly sequence ofthe conventional lamp apparatus for the liquid crystal display;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view representing a portion into which an externalforce is transferred upon a breakage test of the conventional lampapparatus for the liquid crystal display;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a structure of a lamp apparatus for aliquid crystal display according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is a detailed sectional view of the connector shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6A to FIG. 6C are sectional views showing an assembly sequence ofthe lamp apparatus for the liquid crystal display according to theembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view representing a portion into which an externalforce is transferred upon breakage test of the lamp apparatus for theliquid crystal display according to the embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT

Reference will now be made in detail to an embodiment of the presentinvention, example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a lamp apparatus for a liquidcrystal display according to an embodiment of the present invention. Thelamp apparatus includes a lamp 22 for generating light, a wire 23 forconducting external electric power to the lamp 22, a connector 24 forelectrically connecting the lamp 22 to the wire 23, and a lamp holder 25for enclosing the connector 24, the end of the lamp 22, and the wire 23.

The lamp 22 receives driving power from a power source (not shown) togenerate light. The driving power is fed to the lamp 22 through the wire23. The wire 23 and the lamp 22 are pressed into and thereby attached tothe connector 24, without the use of any solder using a lead, and arethereby electrically connected to each other.

As shown in FIG. 5, the connector 24 is provided in a substantially “L”shape that includes a first receiving part 34 to be pressed around lampelectrode 32 and a second receiving part 44 to be pressed around a wireelectrode 33 such that the lamp 22 is in electrical contact with thewire 23. The first and second receiving parts 34 and 44 are providedwith first and second wings 35 and 45, respectively, that extend from aside of the connector to form curvature and a space capable of receivingthe lamp electrode 32 and wire electrode 33.

The lamp electrode 32, provided at the end of the lamp 22, is pressedinto the first wing 35 of the first receiving part 34 with the aid of agig (not shown). Thus, the first wing 35 is connected to the lampelectrode 32 to electrically connect the lamp electrode 32 to theconnector 24. Further, the wire electrode 33, provided at the end of thewire 23, is pressed into the second wing 45 of the second receiving part44 with the aid of a gig (not shown). Thus, the second wing 45 isconnected to the wire electrode 33 to electrically connect the wireelectrode 33 to the connector 24.

The connector 24 is made from a material having excellent electricalconductivity. Accordingly, the lamp 22 is in electrical contact with thewire 23 because the lamp 22 and the wire 23 are connected to theconnector 24. Accordingly, lamp driving voltage may be applied to thelamp 22 from the wire 23 via the connector 24. Alternatively, theconnector 24 may have a different shape depending on a position betweenthe wire 23 and the lamp 22 rather than limited to the substantially “L”shape.

An injection mold (not shown) is used to inject material to form thelamp holder 25 around the end of the lamp 22 and the end of the wire 23.In this case material such as silicon, plastic, or plastic powder, etc.is used as a material for the injection. The lamp holder 25 encloses theend of the lamp 22 and the end of the wire 23 and protects the lamp 22and the wire 23, electrically connected to each other via the connector24, from external impacts. The end of the lamp 22 is thus integratedwith the end of the wire 23 using such an injection material.Accordingly, motion of the lamp 22 and the wire 23, connected to eachother by means of the connector 24, is prevented.

An assembly method for the lamp apparatus of the liquid crystal displayaccording to an embodiment of the present invention is provided withreference to FIG. 6A to FIG. 6C below.

First, the end of the lamp 22 to be attached to the first receiving part34 of the connector 24 is configured as shown in FIG. 6A to form thelamp electrode 32. Further, a coating on the end of the wire 23 to beattached to the second receiving part 44 of the connector 24 is strippedto form the wire electrode 33 as shown in FIG. 6B.

Next, the wire electrode 33 is positioned proximate the second receivingpart 44 of the connector 24 and pressed into the connector 24 with theaid of a type of a binder known as a gig (not shown). Further, the lampelectrode 32 is positioned proximate the first receiving part 34 of theconnector 24 and then pressed into the connector 24 using the gig. Thus,the lamp 22 and the wire 23 are electrically connected to each other viathe connector 24 as shown in FIG. 6C.

Subsequently, an injection is performed using an injection mold (notshown) for the purpose of integrating the lamp 22 and the wire 23,electrically connected to each other by means of the connector 24. Thus,the lamp 22, the connector 24 and the wire 23 are united as shown inFIG. 4 by means of the lamp holder 25 provided by the injection.

A wire breakage test is then carried out on the lamp 22 and wire 23,connected to each other by means of the connector 24.

Upon performing the breakage test, the wire 23 is shaken approximately50 to 60 times in the left and right directions repeatedly as indicatedin the bilateral arrow ‘D’ in FIG. 7. A typical external force createdduring such a breakage test is not transferred into the united lamp 22,connector 24, and wire 23. The external force is transferred only intoend portion “C” of the wire 23 enclosed within the lamp holder 25 andnot into portion “E” located between the wire 23 and the connector 24.

Because no external force is transferred into an area where the lamp 22is connected to the wire 23 via the connector 24, the wire 23 will notbreak. Also, the connector 24 may be electrically connected to the lampelectrode 32 and the wire electrode 33 using a machine, therebysimplifying assembly of the lamp apparatus. Furthermore, since thesolder 4 and the shrinking tube 10 are not used, a material cost can bereduced.

As described above, according to the present invention, the lampelectrode and the wire electrode are pressed and inserted into theconnector and are thereby electrically connected to each other. A lampholder is subsequently formed to enclose and unify the lamp, theconnector, and the wire to prevent a breakage of the wire caused byexternal impacts. Moreover, since solder is not required, assemblyefficiency is improved and air pollution caused by the solder is reducedto provide environmental benefits.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variation can be made in the present invention withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it isintended that the present invention cover the modifications andvariations of this invention provided they come within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

1. A lamp apparatus for a liquid crystal display, comprising: a lampcapable of using a discharge of an external voltage applied to anelectrode of the lamp to generate light for the liquid crystal display;a wire to deliver the external voltage to the lamp; and an L-shapedconnector for electrically connecting the electrode of the lamp to thewire, the L-shaped connector directly contacting only the electrode ofthe lamp and a wire electrode provided at the end of the wire; aunifying means for integrally forming the electrode of the lamp and thewire electrically connected to each other via the connector, wherein theunifying means is an injection molded product for unifying an end of thelamp, the electrode of the lamp, the connector, the wire electrode, andthe end of the wire, and wherein material of the injection moldedproduct is molded around the L-shaped connector so as to be in directcontact with the entire surface of the L-shaped connector; wherein theL-shaped connector includes: a first curved wing to be pressed onlyaround the electrode of the lamp; and a second curved wing to be pressedonly around the wire electrode, wherein the first curved wing and thesecond curved wing are integrally formed.
 2. The lamp apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein a material of the injection molded productis selected from any one of the group comprising plastic and silicon. 3.The lamp apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the material of theinjection molded product is further molded around the lamp and the wire.